Myanmar is now free of maternal and neonatal tetanus, the U.N. Children’s Fund said. The declaration was confirmed by international experts who conducted a study backed by the World Health Organization. Myanmar is the second country in Southeast Asia to be declared completely free of the disease. The other is Vietnam. UNICEF attributed the eradication of the disease to years of systematic efforts, which include administering anti-tetanus vaccines to pregnant women and promoting safe and clean deliveries all over the country.
On the international relations front, Myanmar and China have reached broad agreements on maintaining stability in the two countries’ restless borders, Reuters reports. The agreement on border stability was among the various deals signed by the two countries during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to Myanmar on June 3. The other agreements cover trade and finance, and energy. China also offered aid, but there were no details regarding the kind or amount of assistance, Reuters says.
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About the author
Ivy Mungcal
As former senior staff writer, Ivy Mungcal contributed to several Devex publications. Her focus is on breaking news, and in particular on global aid reform and trends in the United States, Europe, the Caribbean, and the Americas. Before joining Devex in 2009, Ivy produced specialized content for U.S. and U.K.-based business websites.
